We Support the Call for an Integrated Care Model

The Hearts & Minds Partnership responds to the latest report from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance

The Hearts & Minds Partnership’s response to ‘The economic case for increasing access to treatment for women with common mental health problems during the perinatal period’ - a report commissioned by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE):

The Hearts and Minds Partnership supports the call for an integrated care model that is outlined in this report. We recognise an urgent need for increased access to prompt care for new and expectant parents experiencing mild to moderate perinatal mental health challenges.

The impact of pandemic restrictions has brought this need into sharp focus, with VCS services experiencing consistently high demand across the country.

Recommendations to expand and invest in midwifery and health visitor roles are welcomed. This proposed integrated model is aligned with the way in which VCS services are increasingly embedded in perinatal mental health clinical pathways, providing critical grassroots, community-based care for parents who currently do not meet the thresholds for specialist support.

We’re delighted to see the VCS sector cited as an essential service within the Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s ‘Make All Care Count’ campaign and the need for all aspects of an integrated pathway to be appropriately commissioned, funded and resourced.